(CALEDONIA, Mich., Oct. 14)—The McKendree University football team was defeated Saturday in double overtime on the road in non-conference play at Davenport University, 27-24.
 
The host Panthers got a 41-yard field goal from backup kicker Jerred McGuire, then survived a potential game-tying field goal attempts from the Bearcats on the final play of the game to escape with the win. McKendree slips to 4-3 on the season and will head back into Great Lakes Valley Conference play next Saturday (Oct. 21) with a contest at Missouri S&T. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Rolla, Mo.
 
"We knew going into the game that Davenport would be a tough opponent," said McKendree head coach Mike Babcock. "We told our guys that, and (Davenport) came out and played with a lot of passion. I thought we did a good job to battle back, but in the end they made the plays and came away with the win."
 
Trailing 24-21 midway through the fourth quarter, McKendree pulled even for the second time on the day as freshman kicker Josh Lazaro (Bradley, IL/Bradley Bourbonnais) booted a 32-yard field goal with 7:46 on the clock. Both teams were stopped on fourth-and-one plays in the opponents' territory in the closing minutes that forced the overtime. Following a scoreless first overtime session, McGuire put Davenport on top with his 41-yarder on the first possession of the second overtime. McKendree was stopped on three running plays before Lazaro narrowly pushed a 43-yard attempt wide right on the final play from scrimmage.
 
Senior running back Shayeen Edwards (East St. Louis, IL/Cahokia) became just the fifth player in McKendree football history to rush for 2,000 career yards. Edwards finished the day with a team-high 120 yards on 26 attempts to boost his career total to 2,073. He gained 82 of his yards at Davenport in the fourth quarter and overtime. Edwards moved past Drew Cofty (2,041 yards) for the No. 4 spot on the Bearcats' career chart.
 
Another McKendree senior – linebacker Austin Weltha (Bloomington, IL/Bloomington) – posted a career-high 17 tackles to lead the Bearcats' defense. His previous high of 12 tackles came in the Bearcats' season opener at Angelo State University. In addition to his 17 tackles, Weltha added an interception that set up a McKendree touchdown late in the first quarter.
 
Davenport (1-6) used a six-play, 87-yard drive on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. Quarterback Haiden Majewski threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Deronte Powers to open the scoring with 8:16 left in the first quarter.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, McKendree senior Derrick Curry (Glen Ellyn, IL/Montini Catholic) took the kick and raced 76 yards down the left sideline to the Panthers' 16-yard line. A 12-yard run by Edwards was followed by a Davenport offsides penalty to put the ball at the two-yard line. Edwards then took a handoff and rumbled into the end zone to bring McKendree within 7-6. The point after was blocked to allow Davenport to maintain a one-point lead.
 
After Davenport stretched its lead to 14-6, McKendree capitalized on a Panthers' turnover to tie the game just before the end of the first quarter. Weltha stepped in front of a pass from Majewski at midfield and returned it to the Davenport 38-yard line. On the next play, the Bearcats executed a flea flicker to perfection as junior quarterback Reece Metcalf (Mount Carmel, IL/Mount Carmel) found junior wide receiver Jalyn Williams (Carbondale, IL/Carbondale) on a 33-yard strike down to the five-yard line. Two plays later, Metcalf connected over the middle with junior tight end Zach Bobos (Lowell, IN/Lowell) on a six-yard TD pass. Metcalf the found Curry in the end zone on a successful two-point conversion attempt that tied the contest at 14-14 with just 14 seconds left in the opening period.
 
McKendree produced the only points of the second quarter when junior running back Preston Thompson (Markham, IL/Tinley Park) scored on a five-yard touchdown run to give the Bearcats a 21-14 lead. During the second quarter, McKendree blocked a pair of Davenport field goal attempts. Sophomore defensive back Blake Benoist (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) stuffed the first attempt in the early stages of the period before senior defensive end Tobias Cook (Chicago, IL/Westinghouse College Prep) added the second one with just four seconds left before halftime.
 
Davenport took the second half kickoff and put together an 11-play drive that consumed more than six minutes. Majewski scored a two-yard keeper to tie things at 21-21. The Panthers controlled the clock in the third quarter as they had the ball for all but 92 seconds of the period. A 23-yard field goal from McGuire on the first play of the fourth quarter put Davenport back in front at 24-21.
 
Two possessions later, McKendree marched down the field and reached the Davenport 15-yard line. Lazaro then booted a 32-yard field goal with 7:46 on the clock to knot the score one final time at 24-24. The Panthers reached midfield on their next drive, but defensive back Josh Lovings (Alton, IL/Alton) stopped a Majewski run on fourth-and-one to give the ball back to the Bearcats with 4:36 left in regulation.
 
cKendree took possession and drove to the Panthers' 20-yard line, where the Bearcats faced a fourth-and-one of its own. Edwards got the call but was hit at the line of scrimmage and the ball came loose. The Panthers recovered to thwart the scoring threat with 1:39 on the clock.
 
Despite a steady rain throughout the day, Metcalf completed 10-of-18 pass attempts for 102 yards. Williams had four receptions for 61 yards. Senior linebacker Kyle Kirkpatrick (Bethalto, IL/Civic Memorial) also reached double figures in tackles for McKendree with 11. Cook finished the contest with eight stops, seven of which were solos.